Mumbai: Based on the guidelines received from the Government of India and the state public health department, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to start a special measles vaccination drive from December 1. The doses will be administered to more than 1,38,000 children in the outbreak areas.
These include 1,34,833 children in the age group of 9 months to 5 years who will receive the extra shot irrespective of their current vaccination status. Around 4000 children in the age group of 6 months to 9 months will get the vaccine for the first time earlier than suggested in the universal vaccination programme.
“The numbers we currently have are based on recent surveys done by the community health volunteers of BMC. We will be conducting fresh surveys in all the outbreak areas as new areas afflicted with the infection emerge,” said an official from the health department of BMC.
He also assured that the city currently has a sufficient stock of the vaccines as well as vitamin A that is being administered to all vulnerable, unvaccinated children as a way to protect them from the infection.
Meanwhile, the outbreaks in Mumbai have now moved to new areas like P south ward (Goregaon) and R central (Borivali). The situation in M east (Govandi) and L (Kurla) wards is getting progressively worse with seven and six outbreaks in the areas respectively.
Currently, there are 292 confirmed measles cases in the city while 3947 kids are suspected to have the infection. Thirteen kids are suspected to have died of the infection in city hospitals since the first outbreak was recorded in Govandi in the last week of September.
